Ah good, a fresh tankful of electricity...

Well, I've been ignoring Cub lately, but UPS delivered a package earlier today that will allow me to change this.

See, a while back, I got a hold of a new air filter assembly for the bike. It's in generally good condition- though the gaskets are a bit old- and fit right on without any fuss. I like when parts do that... it's always a huge pain in the ass when things don't quite match up model to model, and retrofitting isn't usually a good idea for something that old, etc etc. With the filter attached, the list of things I wanted or needed to do to the bike before trying to start the engine for the first time in however long shrank down to "battery" and "ignition switch."

The battery came- a brand new, unprepped Power Sonic 6N2-2a-3. It's a conventional lead/acid three cell battery, producing six volts at 2 amps (as the name suggests). It looks a bit different from the MBQ6K pictured in the parts fiche at CMSNL.com (here: Honda 50), but some research told me that it's the current compatible model. I'm not picky- as long as it does the job properly, I'm happy. So the next few items on the agenda:

1. Have battery prepped at Twist N Scoot, install in Cub.
2. Acquire a key for the ignition switch and rewire it, or hotwire it temporarily.
3. Replace the oil and ensure the gaskets are solid.
4. Run something through the gas tank to flush it, connect the fuel lines and give her some gas.
5. Pray to the internal combustion gods and press the start button.

If all goes according to plan, the engine will be upgraded to "running" status shortly. I'm a bit concerned that the transmission might need some work, which would be frustrating. Fortunately, I have a shifting transmission from Spare's engine, though getting at it could be tricky. Worst comes to worst, I guess. Once the engine is up and running, I should be able to just put a chain on and start test-riding to work out the bugs. I'll need mirrors to make it street legal, of course, but I can worry about those in a bit. Audrey's looking forward to riding, and I can't say I blame her. Once Cub is rideable, I can start polishing the chrome and replacing the plastic to make the bike really shine. Ideally, we'll get some good usage out of her and turn some heads in the process.

The Proprietor

Incidentally, if anybody finds a big trove of Cub plastic fairings and covers online, let me know. I'm looking for the front plastic, its related hardware and the side plastic, all in white.